Walking, Talking, and Nursing

I am part of a circle of
friends who are all breastfeeding toddlers between 12 and 36 months
of age. When we get together at La Leche League Group meetings, we often
marvel at the benefits of nursing. What would we do without it? Babies
need to breastfeed for obvious reasons: nutrition, general health, and
mother-infant bonding to name a few. But breastfeeding has become even
more important, not less, as our babies turn into toddlers and preschoolers.

One of the biggest challenges
of toddlerhood is the development of language. Studies show that children
who have been breastfed have better language skills, even as they grow
older. There are many possible factors for this. Hearing other people
speaking, understanding the meaning of words, and producing clear speech
are all enhanced by breastfeeding. Human milk prevents ear infections,
which can cause fluid to build up in the ear and make hearing speech
difficult. Pronouncing speech sounds is a physical skill that requires
coordination of the muscles in the tongue, lips, and jaw. The action
of suckling exercises these muscles, giving older nurslings a real advantage
verbally. Finally, language development is a mental as well as a physical
feat, and breastfed babies have, on average, a higher IQ than babies
fed artificially (Sears 2001).

Toddlers’ erratic eating
habits are a frequent subject of discussion in our group. Some days
our children want only crackers, other days they don’t seem to be interested
in food at all. We often worry that our children are not getting all
the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals they need to be healthy.

Thank goodness for breastfeeding!
I am reassured by knowing that as long as I eat a healthy diet, with
adequate protein, healthful fats, vegetables, and fruit, Finlay, my
20-month-old daughter, is guaranteed to get all the right stuff in her
milk. Human milk is tailored to suit the specific needs of a child,
whether she is two weeks old or two years old, so that the ratio of
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats should be just what she needs.

And what about the immunological
properties of human milk? A child’s immune system is immature until
she is around two years old, so that extra boost of antibodies from
human milk is important to help combat infections. One drop of human
milk contains millions of infection-fighting white blood cells! Even
after Finlay’s system is mature, I will continue to pass on antibodies
to the particular germs she has been exposed to, decreasing the severity
of any illness she may come down with. It would seem that the immune-boosting
properties of mothers’ milk are even more important to a toddler because
the sheltered baby has now become a self-propelled explorer, touching
everything she can get her little hands on. From the poles on public
buses to the monkey bars at the playground, Finlay’s exposure to germs
is on the increase while her desire to stick those hands in her mouth
hasn't shown any sign of abating.

Whenever I face criticism
for extended breastfeeding, I remember that nursing beyond the first
birthday is a normal part of human nature. Historically, babies nurse
between two to four years. Western society, where babies are routinely
weaned well before one year of age or not nursed at all, is a marked
exception to the rule (Granju 1999). Anthropologist Meredith F. Small
suggests that for 99 percent of human history, human milk was the primary
food until two years of age, and breastfeeding continued for several
more years (Granju 1999).

Katherine Dettwyler’s research
on other primates points to a natural weaning age in humans between
two-and-a-half and six years of age. She reports one study where primates
were found to wean their young at about the same time they were getting
their first permanent molars. In humans, that would be five-and-a-half
to six years. Another study showed that primate offspring weaned when
they reached about one-third of their adult weight, which happens in
humans between five and seven years of age (Granju 1999).

Another possible indication
of a natural weaning age is the age at which children self-wean. This
varies widely according to individual children and circumstances, but
on average seems to be from two to four years (Bumgarner 2000). I am
curious to know at what age Finlay will stop nursing but I’m in no rush.
She’ll let me know when she’s ready.

Even knowing all the technical
reasons for extended breastfeeding, the mothers in our circle of friends
often stress the convenience of nursing our toddlers over other reasons.
It’s just easier! Forgot to bring a snack to the park? No problem, “nursies”
are always packed and ready. Whether you are sitting in an airplane
waiting for the weather to clear or stuck in an elevator, hunger, thirst,
and comfort are all taken care of.

Without nursing, how would
we get our toddlers to sleep, quickly and easily, at nap time and bedtime,
not to mention after night waking? That’s just the beginning. Nursing
helps in so many situations of emotional upset, such as tantrums over
not being permitted to climb up on the stove, countless bumps and scrapes,
disappointment when Grandma has to leave, frustration when a child can’t
get her own shirt on, and anger when other children want to play with
her toys. When Finlay is over-stimulated and just can’t cope any more,
nursing is a way for her to calm down and get centered. She can be in
the middle of a fit of tears, but a quick nursing works like an instant
mood changer and she pops up again with a smiling face, ready for the
next hurdle.

My friends and I notice our
children breastfeed more often, at night as well as in the day, when
they are going through developmental changes. Just think what toddlers
are experiencing in such a short time: cutting teeth, learning to walk,
learning to understand and produce words, and spending all day making
discoveries about how life works. I am glad to be able to offer Finlay
a secure haven at the breast as her world changes and grows.